Cleveland Division of Fire SOP 1: Fire in a Structure PDF

CLEVELAND DIVISION OF FIRE STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE NUMBER: 1 CLASS: S.O.P. DATE: June 14, 2023 SUBJECT: FIRE IN A STRUCTURE 1. Purpose 1.1 The intent of this SOP is to describe the procedures to stabilize and mitigate structure fires. 1.2 SOP 2 Operations in Buildings with Water-Based Fire...

CLEVELAND DIVISION OF FIRE STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE NUMBER: 1 CLASS: S.O.P. DATE: June 14, 2023 SUBJECT: FIRE IN A STRUCTURE 1. Purpose 1.1 The intent of this SOP is to describe the procedures to stabilize and mitigate structure fires. 1.2 SOP 2 Operations in Buildings with Water-Based Fire Protection Systems and SOP 4 Fire in a High Rise prescribe specific procedures for fires in these types of structures. Where there is a conflict between SOP 1 and SOP 2 or SOP 4, the provisions of SOP 2 or SOP 4 (as applicable) prevail. 2. Dispatch and Communications 2.1 In cases where the FDC has cause to believe there is a fire in a structure they shall dispatch three engines, two ladders, one rescue squad, and one Chief Officer. 2.2 Upon confirmation of a fire in a structure, the FDC shall dispatch AC-1 as the Safety Officer 2.3 The number of companies dispatched may be increased by the FDC or responding chief officer at any time. 2.4 The FDC shall assign and announce a tactical radio channel that shall correspond to the first arriving chief officer (See also SOP 10 Radio Procedures). 3. Incident Command and Safety Officer (See also SOP 17 Incident Command System) 3.1 An Incident Commander shall be established at all structure fires and maintained until all companies are in service. 3.2 A designated Safety Officer shall be established at all structure fires and shall remain on scene at least until the fire is declared under control and a personnel accountability report (PAR) for same is made. 3.2.1 AC-1 shall be dispatched as the Safety Officer to all structure fires. In the event AC-1 is not available another Battalion Chief or the on-call Safety Officer shall be dispatched. S.O.P. #1 Page 1 of 9 June 14, 2023 3.2.2 The Safety Officer retains emergency authority to suspend and/or terminate unsafe actions. When such emergency authority is utilized, same shall be immediately reported to the Incident Commander. 3.3.3 The Safety Officer shall report to the command post; receive an incident briefing; evaluate incident operations and conditions from a viewpoint of safety; and monitor the health, welfare and rehabilitation needs of all personnel. 4. Incident Priorities in Order of Importance 4.1 Life Safety 4.2 Incident Stabilization (i.e. exposure protection) 4.3 Property Conservation 5. Risk Management 5.1 Activities that present significant risk to the safety of members shall be limited to situations where there is a potential to save endangered lives. 5.2 Activities that are routinely employed to protect property shall be recognized as inherent risks to the safety of members, and actions shall be taken to reduce or avoid these risks. 5.3 No risk to the safety of members shall be acceptable when there is no possibility to save lives or property. 5.4 In situations where risk to fire department members is excessive, activities shall be limited to defensive operations. 5.5 In the initial stages of an incident where only one company is operating at a working structural fire, two members shall remain outside the hazardous area to be available for assistance/rescue of members working inside the hazardous area. 5.5.1 The initial stage of an incident ends upon the arrival of the second company. 5.6 Members operating inside the hazardous area at structure fires shall operate in teams/crews of at least two (2) members. 6. Personal Protective Equipment (see also General Order 9-1 Protective Clothing Maintenance and Regulations). 6.1 Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus 6.1.1 All members shall don SCBA prior to entering the hazard zone. S.O.P. #1 Page 2 of 9 June 14, 2023 6.1.2 The Incident Commander may authorize the removal of SCBA only after the fire has been declared under control and adequately ventilated after conducting a risk analysis. 6.1.3 Members performing tasks outside of structures (e.g. exterior ventilation, hose layouts, hose line operation, etc.) are not required to don SCBA unless directed otherwise by their company officer and/or Incident Commander. 6.2 All members operating at structure fires shall wear full structural firefighting gear (pump operators outside need not wear a protective hood) and shall be equipped with a radio and a flashlight. 7. Operation Modes- Investigation, Offensive, Transitional, Defensive 7.1 Investigation mode is used to determine an incident’s nature, scope, and complexity when no apparent hazard is observed upon arrival. 7.2 Offensive mode is used when fast action is critical to protect life and property and to stabilize/mitigate the incident. In structure fires, an offensive attack is typically an interior attack. 7.2.1 Transitional Attack- a form of offensive attack initiated by an exterior indirect hand line operation into the fire compartment to initiate cooling before transitioning into interior direct fire attack in coordination with ventilation operations. 7.3 Defensive mode is used in incidents where there are insufficient resources (e.g. manpower, equipment, water, etc.) to conduct offensive operations and/or the nature of the incident presents excessive risk to members (see 5.4 above). In structure fires, a defensive attack is an exterior attack. 8. Size up 8.1 A size up is a report given by the incident commander describing incident conditions, actions, and needs. 8.2 Size up should consist of unit signature; updated address (if applicable); building and roof construction (frame, ordinary, truss, etc.); fire/hazardous condition location and severity (light smoke, heavy smoke, fire showing, well involved, etc.); number of floors (divisions); occupancy type (e.g. residential, assembly, educational, etc.) and status (occupied or vacant); operating mode (investigation, offensive, transitional, defensive, etc.); and requests for additional resources and/or alarms. 8.3 A size up report shall be given when command is assumed and/or transferred. S.O.P. #1 Page 3 of 9 June 14, 2023 9. First Arriving (Short-Term) Incident Commander Actions for Company Officers 9.1 Provide a size up and establish and announce command (See Sections 3 and 8 above). 9.2 Utilizing incident priorities and risk management, select an operational mode (see Sections 4, 5, and 7 above). All four sides of the structure should be evaluated prior to committing to an operational mode (360 degree size up). Confirm the operational mode on the applicable tactical channel to ensure responding companies and FDC are aware. 9.3 Remain in command until transferred to another officer. Command should be transferred to an officer of equal or superior rank. Command may be transferred to an officer of subordinate rank only in situations where incident priorities (see Section 4 above) and risk management (see Section 5 above) are better achieved by doing so. This may occur when the previous (superior) Incident Commander’s company is more likely to require a complete crew and/or close supervision than that of the later arriving (subordinate) officer’s company. 10. Principal Incident Commander Responsibilities 10.1 Battalion chiefs are the principal Incident Commanders at structure fires unless relieved of command by an Assistant Chief. Assistant Chiefs shall assume command at all multiple alarm fires and high-rise fires and may assume command at other structure fires. 10.2 Provide a size up report, assume command (conferring with the prior Incident Commander if not arriving on scene first), and establish a command post. 10.2.1 This does not preclude the Incident Commander from surveying the incident scene as necessary from different vantage points to determine conditions, actions, and needs and to conduct dynamic risk assessment. (See Section 9.3.2.1 above). 10.3 Apply incident priorities and risk management principles and select an operational mode (or determine if the operational mode of the first arriving Incident Commander needs to be modified) (see Sections 4, 5, and 7 above). All four sides of the structure should be evaluated prior to committing to an operational mode (360 degree size up). 10.4 Establish and implement an Incident Action Plan (IAP) for the observed conditions incorporating incident priorities, risk management, and the operational mode. Designate companies to perform rescue, protect exposures, contain and extinguish the fire, overhaul, ventilation and salvage (RECEO-VS). 10.4.1 Truss roofs and/or light weight construction present enhanced risks of collapse and rapid fire spread that must be considered when establishing the Incident Action Plan S.O.P. #1 Page 4 of 9 June 14, 2023 10.4.2 Positive pressure fans shall not be deployed prior to the fire being declared under control. 10.5 Designate an Accountability Officer (see also SOP 15 Accountability) 10.5.1 The Assistant Chief’s (AC-1) Aide shall serve as the principal Accountability Officer at structure fires. Prior to the arrival of the AC-1 Aide, the Incident Commander may utilize a Battalion Aide (if and when the Battalion is so staffed), officer of the RIT team, officer of the 3rd arriving engine, or other available personnel. 10.6 Ensure a Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) is established (see SOP 19 Rapid Intervention Team Operations) 10.7 Request CPD as necessary for traffic and crowd control. 10.8 Establish a fire ground perimeter seeking police assistance as necessary. 10.9 Request additional resources as needed including: additional suppression companies; the next greater alarm; utility companies; Air Supply 1; Fire Investigation Unit; and/or the Public Information Officer. 10.10 Continually monitor and assess risks and objectives, amending the operational mode and Incident Action Plan as necessary. 10.11 Establish rehabilitation for members as necessary (see General Order 1-11 Fire Fighter Rehabilitation) 10.12 After the fire is declared under control and a personnel accountability report (PAR) is completed, conduct a pre-overhaul assessment of the structure. 10.12.1 The pre-overhaul assessment is an evaluation of the integrity of the structure. Hazards and risks shall be reduced to the lowest extent possible by ensuring utilities are controlled, adequate scene lighting is established, appropriate ventilation is established, and hazards are announced on the tactical channel. Where hazards and risks cannot be reduced to an acceptable level, interior operations shall be discontinued. 10.13 After the pre-overhaul assessment is complete, investigate the cause and origin of the fire. 10.13.1 Overhaul should be minimized when the cause is believed to be incendiary and/or where there are injuries or fatalities to either civilians or responders. 10.13.2 The Fire Investigation Unit shall be requested in accordance with General Order 1-3 Fire Investigation and Arson Detection. S.O.P. #1 Page 5 of 9 June 14, 2023 10.14 Announce the completion of critical benchmarks via radio on the applicable tactical channel when the following tactical objectives have been completed: water supply secured, structure laddered (announcing side and floor), primary and secondary searches completed, ventilation complete (announcing side and floor), and fire under control. 11. Engine Company Operations 11.1 Engine companies are the principal companies utilized for fire extinguishment through the deployment and operation of hose lines. 11.2 Positions on engine companies are designated as follows: Officer in Charge, Pump Operator, Tip Operator, Layout-Backup Fire Fighter. 12. First Arriving Engine Company 12.1 Position the apparatus to minimize the length of the hose layout. 12.2 Leave the front of the structure clear for the ladder company; this may require the engine to stop short of the structure. The first arriving engine should be positioned in the front of the structure only when a deck gun or elevated stream is used because of the volume and location of fire. 12.3 Report to the Incident Commander via radio or face-to-face at the command post. 12.4 Establish a water supply using a 4” supply line from the largest diameter hydrant outlet. 12.5 Identify the most advantageous location for fire attack (including the point of entry for an interior attack). 12.6 Select the appropriate hose line based on the volume and location of fire. 12.7 Attack the fire utilizing the operational mode selected by the Incident Commander. 12.7.1 If and when an engine company is on scene with no other CFD personnel present, the Pump Operator and Layout-Back-up Fire Fighter shall remain outside the structure (see Section 5.5 above). Upon the arrival of additional CFD personnel, the Layout Back-up Fire Fighter shall report to the Officer. S.O.P. #1 Page 6 of 9 June 14, 2023 13. Second Arriving Engine Company 13.1 Position the apparatus with ladder company access in mind in a location that will support deployment of additional hose lines if needed. 13.2 Report to the Incident Commander via radio or face-to-face at the command post. 13.3 Ensure water supply to the first arriving engine and assist in increasing the water supply if necessary. 13.4 Generally, the second arriving engine company deploys a second hand line as the backup line to the initial attack line and assists with particularly long and/or difficult hose layouts. 13.4.1 The Incident Commander may determine the second hose line is needed on another floor (division) to prevent or control vertical extension. In such cases, a third line shall be established as a back-up line. 13.5 The Pump Operator of the second arriving engine shall remain outside the hazard zone and assist the Pump Operator of the first arriving engine as necessary during the incident and otherwise be prepared in the event the second arriving engine is needed for increasing water supply/pressure, relay operations, and/or mechanical breakdown of the first arriving engine. 14. Third Arriving Engine Company 14.1. Position the apparatus with ladder company access and hydrant location in mind to support increasing water supply and/or relay operations if needed. 14.2 Report to the Incident Commander via radio or face-to-face at the command post. 14.3 As determined by the Incident Commander, the third arriving engine company may deploy a third hose line, assist with hose layouts, and/or perform other tasks as necessary. The pump operator of the third arriving engine need not remain at the apparatus and may deploy with his/her company, as determined by the company officer and/or the Incident Commander. 15. Ladder Company Operations 15.1 Ladder companies are the principal companies utilized for Rapid Intervention Teams (RIT), search and rescue, ventilation, forcible entry, salvage, utility control, and overhaul. 15.1.1 Positive pressure fans shall not be deployed unless authorized by the Incident Commander and only after the fire has been declared under control (see Section 10.4.2 above) S.O.P. #1 Page 7 of 9 June 14, 2023 15.2 The positions on Ladder Company are designated as follows: Officer, Driver/ Operator, Forcible Entry Fire Fighter, Exterior Ventilation Fire Fighter. 16. First Arriving Ladder Company 16.1 Position the apparatus in the most advantageous position, generally in front of structure with coverage of two sides. 16.2 Report to the Incident Commander via radio or face-to-face at the command post. 16.3 As determined by the Incident Commander, perform ventilation, forcible entry, search and rescue, salvage, overhaul, and utility control. 16.3.1 The first arriving ladder company may utilize a “split crew” format with the Officer in Charge and Forcible Entry Fire Fighter paired for forcible entry and search and rescue and the Driver/Operator and Outside Ventilation Fire Fighter paired to perform exterior ventilation. 16.3.2 Removal of electrical meters shall only be performed if there is a life safety issue and with the authorization of the Incident Commander. 16.3.3 Units that disconnect or remove electric meters at incident scenes are to retain the meter and notify the applicable Battalion Chief who will pick up meter and deliver it to the Storeroom. 17. Second Arriving Ladder Company 17.1 If the configuration of the incident scene permits, position the apparatus in a location to provide coverage not accessible to the first arriving ladder. On most residential streets, additional aerial coverage is not obtainable. However, structures of long length; situated on street corners; with large parking areas; and/or with other access points provide opportunity to enhance aerial ladder coverage. 17.2 Report to the Incident Commander via radio or face-to-face at the command post. 17.3 Depending on the needs of the incident and the order of arrival of other companies, the second arriving ladder company may be utilized in a manner similar to the first arriving ladder or as the Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) (see SOP 19 Rapid Intervention Team Operations) 18. Rescue Squad Company Operations S.O.P. #1 Page 8 of 9 June 14, 2023 18.1 Rescue squads are utilized according to the needs of the incident and the order of arrival of the engine and ladder companies. This stated, because the Division has substantially more engine companies than ladder companies rescue squad companies are frequently assigned tasks associated with ladder company operations such as search and rescue, ventilation, forcible entry, and RIT. 18.2 The positions on a Rescue Squad Company are designated as follows: Officer, Driver/ Operator, Fire Fighter 1, Fire Fighter 2. 18.3 Position the apparatus giving consideration to the operational requirements of the responding engine and ladder companies. 18.4 Report to the Incident Commander via radio or face-to-face at the command post. By Order Of: Anthony Luke, Chief Cleveland Division of Fire AL/fs S.O.P. #1 Page 9 of 9 June 14, 2023